Regan Smith misses Olympic spot despite clocking 5th fastest time in history at U.S. Swimming Olympic Team Trials

Three-time Olympic medalist Regan Smith has failed to book a berth for the Paris Olympics 2024 in the Women's 100m Butterfly event even after registering a memorable performance at the US Olympic Swimming Trials in Indianapolis. However, the 22-year-old will still be hopeful for her second Olympics appearance as she is also one of the favorites in the 200m butterfly and backstroke events.

Smith's performance in the event was quite superb as she lowered her personal best (56.26 seconds) twice during the trials. She did so first in the semi-finals of the event in which she registered a mark of 55.92 seconds and then in the finals where she finished third in 55.62 seconds.

During this process, Regan Smith also became the fifth-fastest in the all-time list of Women's 100m Butterfly. However, even this staggering performance was not enough to take her through to the Olympic berth as two 21-year-olds Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske, outperformed her.

Walsh, also the world record holder (55.18 seconds) in the event, emerged victorious in the finals. She registered a mark of 55.31 seconds to cement her place for the 2024 quadrennial event in Paris.

Meanwhile, 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist (4x100m Medley) Torri Huske, registered her best-ever performance in the finals. She registered a mark of 55.52 seconds and became the third fastest swimmer in the Women's 100m Butterfly event.

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Regan Smith opens up about her mindset ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024

Regan Smith in Antonio at the TYR Pro Swim Series (Photo: Getty)

Regan Smith's performance has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years. She has been one of the most consistent performers among the current lot of young swimmers. Ever since her move from the Stanford Cardinals to Bob Bowman, she has started to show her true prowess.

With three Olympic medals already at just 22 years of age, Smith is now aiming for more as she sets foot in the waters in Indianapolis at the trials. Recently, in an interview with StarTribune, Smith opened up about the hardships she has gone through (referring to her Stanford days) and also elaborated about her mindset going forward. She stated:

"I'm glad I went through those things, because hard things make you better. Now, I'm excited to enjoy the experience and really be present. I have big goals. I know what I can do."

Regan Smith will be participating in numerous events during the trials. But she will be one of the favorites in the Women's 100m Backstroke event, considering her recent performance at the 2024 Speedo Grand Challenge.